Green Lakes and Pratts Falls

At my school, geology is a vastly different subject than environmental engineering. It is a subject that I still have a lot to learn about. Aside from a small fossil collection that has mostly transferred into my algae covered fish tank, I couldn’t tell you much about geology. What I can tell you is that I went to visit the scenic Green Lakes and Pratts Falls on Independence Day weekend. The trail involved a .5 mile hike to Pratts falls. Once there, you can stand across from the falls or stand on a bridge that goes over the top. Like many others, Pratts Falls has been reinforced to prevent any more rock from falling away or receding and to preserve its state.

Green Lakes, on the other hand, involves a lot more history than it lets on. It is even the center of a few scientific studies. The lake is meromictic. This means that after it was created by a melting glacier the water on the top and bottom of the lake did not mix like a normal lake. Instead, the material on the bottom became denser and void of oxygen, which is a prime condition for calcium but not for plants or animals. Fossils survive best in those conditions. The water is very cold and crystal clear-the cerulean blue of the surface is because it is so deep and certain frequencies of light require certain depths. It’s also amazing to swim here when there isn’t a large crowd.